Self-priming pump



March. 1,1938. A. c. sAxE SELF PRIMING PUMP Filed March 19, 1931 ARTHURC.S'AXE' Patented Mar. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SELF-PBIMINGrum Arthur 0. Sate, Columbus, Ohio Application Mai-ch19, 1931, SerialNo. 523,776

a Claims. (01. 103-113) v This invention relates to self-primingcentrifugal pumps, theobject being chiefly to provide an improvedconstruction whereby a by-pass having a valve between the discharge andsuction chamhers is closed by the impact of the suction line water whenthe air or gases have been exhausted from said line. Other objects willappear from the disclosure. v

The invention is embodied in the example herein shown and described, thefeatures of novelty being finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is vertical section on the line1-! Fl 2 with parts in full and broken out.

.Fig. 2 is a view in elevation looking at the righthand side of Fig. 1with the suction line removed.

Fig. 3 is a view like Fig.1 of a modification. the

section being taken on the line III-III Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view looking atv the right-hand side of Fig. 3.

Referring first to the views, Figs. 1 and 2. the character 5 designatesthe ordinary impeller which is housed in a usual or suitable manner buthas, in the present instance, a chamber 6 constituting a suction orintake chamber. Mounted above the impeller housing and intake chamberare a priming water and discharge chamber 1 and a chambered portion 8forming an extension of the intake chamber b'ut leading downward intothe suction chamber 6. The suction line 9 has a check valve at 9, forexample, at its lower end and is connected at its upper end with thechambered portion 8.

The discharge from the impeller chamber ex- 5 tends upward from thebottom of the housing into the discharge chamber 1 through a passage IDin the rear.

The discharge chamber I communicates with the suction chamber 6 by meansof a passage H formed with a valve seat, a valve I! being pivoted, asshown, in said passage, said valve adapted when suitably rocked to openand close the passage. Said valve l2 carries at its upper side withinthe discharge chamber I an arm I! on which is secured a weight I; andsaid valveat its lower sidewithin the suction chamber carries an. armwith a blade IS. The weight I4 is of sumcient mass when placed at agiven point on the arm II to hold the, valve l2 normally in openposition and with the blade Ii opposing the inlet to the suctionchamber. When, in operation, air or gas, or water carrying aconsiderable quantity of air or gas, enters the suction chamber theblade and valve are not actuated; but when the water is substantiallyfreed from gas it presses the blade to rock the valve to closedposition, where it is held until released by reason of the presence ofair or gas again coming from the suction line. It will be noted that thepriming port II which leads from the priming fluid container to the im-5 peller chamber is of less area than the port leading from the suctionchamber into the impeller chamber.

The operation is this: 0

To prime the pump water is supplied through 1 the discharge or priminghatch 1' of the discharge chamber until such water reaches the levelfixed by the opening of the suction line and the rotation of theimpeller is started. The rota- 15 tion of the impeller first exhausts amixture of air or gas and water from the suction chamber, after whichboth water and air or gas come together from the.suction line, andfinally water alone. When water alone is drawn from the suction line itsimpact or pressure on the blade I5 50 urges that member downward and thevalve to closed position. after which water alone is pumped through thesuction line until exhausted from the sourceat the foot of the suctionline.

It will be noted from Figures 1 and 2 that the 25 arm I! and weight llare so arranged that weight II has its greatest oment'arm about thepivot of valve l 2 when the latter is open. This moment arm decreasesasthe valve moves towards closed position and as the member l5 moves outof the 39 direct path of liquid in the suction line. The result is thatthere is a tendency for the valve to be kept open until the velocityhead of fluid in the suction line reaches a selected degree but when thevalve is once started towards closed 35 position, closing of the valveis facilitated by decrease in the length of the moment arm.

It will also be noted from Figures 1 and 3 that when the valve isclosed, it is slightly hydrostatically unbalanced so that the unbalancedhydrostatic pressure will aid in keeping the valve closed. From thesefigures lt'will be noted that the upper surface of the valve I2 is soarranged that that portion of the area which is disposed to the right ofthe pivot pin thereof is of greater 45 area than .that portion which isdisposed to the left of the pivot pin. This difference in area bringsabout the hydrostatic unbalance of the valve so that the pressure in thechamber I- acting on the upper surface of the valve tends to 50 keep thevalve closed. However, as soon as the velocity head in the suction lineacting on the, blade I! 1 falls below the selected degree, the weight"will be'sufilcient to overcome the hydrostatic unbalance and open thevalve. 55

In this operation it will be noted that the priming water merely churnsaround in the impeller housing and discharge chamber until all the airor gas is exhausted from the suction line and suc- 5 ,tion chamber, butthat when the water, minus the air or gas begins to flow, that is whenthe pump is primed, the pumped water is discharged through the hatch Iof the discharge chamber.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the parts aresubstantially the same and arecorrespondingly designated except that the suction chamber, as shown at6*, has greater upward extension and to a point sub-- stantially in linewith the top of the discharge chamber. The modification shown permits alarge quantity of priming water to be initially supplied to the pump,the level of which as in the former case can be at the bottom of theconnection of the suction line with the extension intake chamber. Withsuch construction no foot or check valve is required in the suction lineto prevent loss of water by syphoning, which loss may occur when theoperation of the pump is stopped;

The forms of the parts can be changed without departing from the gist ofthe invention as claimed. a v

What I claim is: 1. A self-priming centrifugal pump comprising animpeller chamber, a suction line leading into said impeller chamber, animpeller in said chamber, a container for priming fluid associated withsaid chamber, a port leading from said container to said impellerchamber, a discharge passage leading from said impeller chamber, a valvefor controlling said port to admit priming fluid to said impellerchamber when open and to substantially exclude priming fluid therefromwhen closed, and means for holding said valve open.

to admit priming fluid to said impeller chamber untihthe air issubstantially exhausted from the suction line and until a fluid flowwith a selected svelocity head is established therein and thereafterclosing said valve and maintaining it closed while this conditioncontinues to exist,

said last named means comprising a bame member of less area than thecross-section of the suction line projecting into the path of flow ofthe fluid therein but movable substantially entirely out of said path offlow by the action thereon of said selected velocity head of: fluid, anda weight associated therewith and pre-selected to prevent initiation ofthe closing movement of said valve untilsaid member is subjected to saidselected -velocity head of fluid, said weight being so related to saidvalve that movement of the valve towards closed position decreases theeffectiveness of the weight as said baiile member moves away from thecenter of flow.

2. A self-priming centrifugal pump comprising an impeller chamber, asuction line leading into-said impeller chamber, an impellerin saidchamber, a container for priming fluid associated with said chamber; aport leading from said con-i tainer to said impeller chamber, said portbeing of less area than the port leading from the suction chamber intothe impeller chamber, a discharge passage ieading from said impellerchamber, a valve for controlling said port to admit priming fluid tosaid impeller chamber when open and to substantially exclude primingfluid therefrom when closed, means for holding' said valve open to admitpriming fluid to said impeller chamber until the air iss'ubstantiallyexhausted from the suction line and until a fluid flow with 76 aselectedvelocity head is established therein and thereafter closing said valveand maintain ing it closed while this condition continues to exist, saidlast-named means comprising a ballle member of less area than thecross-section of the suction line projecting into the path of flow ofthe fluid therein but movable substantially out of said path of flow bythe action thereon of said selected velocity head of fluid, and a weightassociated therewith and preselected to prevent initiation of theclosing movement of said valve until said member is subjected to saidselected velocity head of fluid, said weight being so related to saidvalve that movement of the valve towards closed position decreases theefiectiveness of the weight as said baflle moves away from the center offlow, said valve being slightly hydrostatically unbalanced when inclosed 'posi- 3. A self-priming centrifugal pump comprisa ing animpeller chamber, a suction line leading into said impeller chamber, animpeller in said chamber, a container for priming, fluid associated withsaid chamber, a port leading from said container to said impellerchamber, said port being of less area than the port leading from thesuction chamber into the impeller chamber, a discharge passage leadingfrom said impeller chamber, a valve for controlling said port to admitpriming fluid to said impeller chamber when open and to substantiallyexclude priming fluid therefrom when closed, means for holding saidvalve open to admit priming fluid to said impeller chamber until the airis substantially exhausted .from the suction line and ,until a fluidflow with a selected velocity head is established therein and thereafterclosing said valve and maintaining it closed while this conditioncontinues to exist, said last-named means comprising a ,bame member ofless area than the cross-section of the suction line projecting into thepath of flow of the fluid therein but movable substantially out of saidpath of flow by the action thereon of said selected velocityhead offluid, and a weight associated therewith and preselected to preventinitiation of the closing movement of said valve until said member issubjected to said velocity head of fluid, said valve being slightlyhydrostatically unbalanced when in closed position so that theunbalanced'hydrostatic pressure will aid in keeping the valve closed,said weight being into said impeller chamber, an impeller in said Ichamber, a container for priming fluid associated v ng from said conwithsaid chamber, a port leadi tainer to said impeller chamber, said portbeing of less area than the port leading from the suction chamber in'tothe impeller chamber, a discharge passage leading from'said impellercham-' ber, .a valve for controlling said DQrttoadmi't from when closed,means for holding said valve.

open to admit priming fluid to said impeller chamber until the air issubstantially exhausted from the suction line and until a fluid -flowwith as'electedvelocityhead-istherein and thereafter closing said valve.and maintaining it closed while this condition continues to exist, saidlast-named means comprising a bame I an impeller chamber, a suction lineleading into' member projecting into the path of fluid flowing throughthe pump ,and a weight associated said impeller chamber, an impeller insaid chamber, a container for priming fluid associated with saidchamber, a port leading from said container to said impeller chamber,said port being of less area than the port leading from thesuctionchamber into the impeller chamber, a discharge passage leading from saidimpeller chamber, a valve for controlling said port to admit primingfluid to said impeller chamber when open and to substantially excludepriming fluid therefrom when closed, means for holding said valve opento admit priming fluid to said impeller chamber until the air issubstantially exhausted from the suction line and until a fluid flowwith a selected velocity head is established therein and thereafterclosing said valve and maintaining it closed while this conditioncontinues. to exist, said valve being slightly hydrostaticallyunbalanced when in closed position so that the unbalanced hydrostaticpressure will aid in keeping the valve closed, saidlmeans including amember for overcoming the slight hydrostatic unbalance to open thevalve'when the velocity head of fluid inthe suction line falls below theselected degree.

6. A self-priming centriiugal pump comprising an impeller chamber, asuction line leading into said impeller chamber, an impeller in saidchamber; a container for priming liquid associated with said chamber anddisposed directly adjacent -to said suction line, a port leading i'romsaid container into said suction line, port being of less area than theport leading from the suction line into the impeller chamber, adischarge e leading from said impeller chamber, a valve for controllingsaid port to admit priming liquid to said impeller chamber when open andto substantially exchide priming liquid therefrom when closed; means forholding said valve open to admit priming liquid to said impeller chamber'until the air is substantially exhausted from the suction line anduntil a fluid flow with a selected velocity head is established thereinand thereafter closing said valve and maintaining it closed while thiscondition continues to exist, said lastnamed means comprising a baiiiemember connected to said valve and located in the suction line, saidbaiile member being of less area than the cross sectional area of thesuction line and projecting into the path of flow oi the liquid thereinbut being movable substantially out of said path of flow by the actionthereon of said selected velocity head of liquid, and an arm connectedto the valve and projecting from the opposite side of the priming portinto said priming liquid container, 'said' arm carrying a weight whichis disposed in said priming liquid container andfwhich is preselected toprevent-initiation oi the closing movement of said valve until saidweight as said baiile member moves away from the center of flow, saidvalve being hydrostatically unbalanced when in closed position so thatthe unbalanced hydrostatic pressure will aid in keeping the valveclosed, the decrease in eiiectiveness of said weight and the unbalancedhydrostatic force serving to compensate for the decrease inefl'ectiveness of the velocity head force produced by movement of thebaiile member away from the center of flow said weight being sumcient toovercome the hydrostatic unbalance to open the valve when the velocityhead oi liquid acting on saidbaiile member falls below the selecteddegree.

AR'I'HUR C. saxn.

bai'le member is subjected to said selected ve- 'locity head of fluid,said weight being so related to said valve that movement of the valvetowards closed position decreases the eflectiveness of the

